HUMAN PROCEDURE RIDS CANINE OF DAMAGED HEART TISSUE BY KATHERINE UNGER BAILLIE
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or Karen Cortellino, her nine-yearold boxer Sophie is more than just a companion. “There’s this bumper sticker that says, ‘Rescue dogs: Who rescued who?’” said Cortellino, a physician from New Jersey. “That’s exactly how I feel.” Eight years ago, Cortellino adopted Sophie two weeks after the death of the family’s first boxer, and “she’s been Mommy’s baby ever since.” A few months ago, however, Sophie’s star rose even higher: she became the first dog with a particular type of heart disease — arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) — to be treated with cardiac ablation. Dr. Anna Gelzer, a Penn Vet cardiologist, led Sophie through the procedure, together with cardiology resident Dr. Alexandra Crooks. But the equipment and expertise to perform an
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Sophie’s diagnosis of ARVC meant she could suffer a life-threatening arrhythmia, despite starting medications to reduce that risk.